||Tales Of A Self Diagnosed Food Snob||

March 3, 2015March 3, 2015

Crazy for Chickpeas!

Chickpeas are magical. They make the world go round. But seriously, they are so delicious. And not to mention, nutritious. These little beans are packed with tons of protein and fiber :) This past weekend, my friends and I ventured on another road trip—Nashville. My friend Janani is from Nashville–so we got to stay at her house. In case you didn’t know, she’s that indian girl in my photos (LOL @ Janu if you’re reading this) Anyway, so the best part about her being indian is that when we go to her house her mom makes homemade and authentic indian food. Oh my goodness, it is amazing. Her mom is an amazing cook and everything she makes is always outstanding. This is where my obsession with indian food began. If you know me at all, you know that my favorite food is mexican. But now, indian food might just take the cake. The best thing about it is the spices…garam masala, curry, cumin, chili pepper….. And it’s so fun to cook! Currently, my favorite indian dish is Chana Masala, which is a chickpea based dish with plenty of spices. This recipe will use a lot of traditional spices but I am adding my own twist on it and adding some extra goodies ;)

Chana Masala

1 can of organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

5-6 medium sized organic yukon gold potatoes (sliced & halved)

1 red or yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic

~1/2 cup of a curry or masala simmer sauce (I like the ones from TJ’s)

~2 tablespoons of garam masala

~3-4 tablespoons of curry powder

~1 tablespoon of cumin

~3 tablespoons of tandoori masala powder

salt & pepper to taste

lemon to taste

olive oil (to use for sauteing)

***TIP: Use the spices according to your own preference. The masala powder tends to be a little on the spicy side, so if you’re not into that, only use a little. You could also add chili powder if you want an extra kick :)

^^^ Here is my holy grail of indian spices! All of them can be found at a World Market near you. This is also the curry sauce I used made by the Sassy Indian found @ Whole Foods! One day I will make my own curry…

***Drain the can of chickpeas and put them in a pot to let them boil. After around 10 mins of boiling; they should have a soft but not mushy consistency. Strain the chickpeas and put them back into the pan. In another pan, saute the onion and potatoes. Add the garlic. Combine the chickpeas into the pan with the onions&potatoes. Add the curry simmer sauce and spices and cook another 10 minutes until everything is fully cooked and hot! Salt & pepper and add a squeeze of lemon–Ready to eat!

***This dish is best served over a hot bed of rice! I particularly like the organic basmati brown rice from TJ’s, of course. ENJOY!!!!

But my love for chickpeas doesn’t stop there…

^^^ I found this amazing chickpea snack at my local Kroger, but I think it is also at Whole Foods. Flavorful, crunchy, and #glutenfree

Hope you’re inspired to cook up some indian food or at least order take out ;)